Internal combustion engine



Dec. l, 1931. c. D. sALlsBURY 1,834,224

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 16, 1928 55% M v A? Q bkozn-a Patented Dec. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE CARL D. SALISBURY, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE WIN TON ENGINE CORPORATION INTERNAL coMBUsrroN ENGINE Application led April 16,

This invention relates to internal combustion engines of the so-called solid fuel injection type, and more particularly has to do with the fuel injection valve thereof.

Engines of this type ordinarily operate with relatively high compression pressures, 4

and since the fuel must be injected into the combustion chamber during the period of maximum compression pressure and indeed carrying over into the much higher combustion pressure, it will be apparent that a very high fuel injection pressure is necessary. Further, in order that atomization may be effected at the jet of nozzle of the injection valve a still higher injection pressure must be provided for the purpose.

In arrangements where the entire fuel distribution system is under this pressure there. is constant liability of leakage with all of the resulting disadvantages and daners. g It is, therefore, becoming the practice in certain classes of such engines, to feed'the fuel to theinjection valve under relatively low pressures, and arrange for boosting the pressure to the necessary head at the valve itself and immediately at the period of injection. Such an arrangement has importance in that owing to the more efiicient handling of the fuel, much higher engine speeds are possible with the well-known resulting Y superiority.

My invention has to do with such last described arrangement and embraces an injection valve structure including pump and valve means of variable stroke whereby the successive charges of fuel are individually metered and injected under extreme pressures and consequently very violently into the combustion chamber.

More particularly my invention includes fuel injection apparatus comprising means forming a metering chamber adjacent to and having communications with the combustion chamber of the engine and including 1928. Serial No. 270,312.

a plunger arranged to vary the volume of the metering chamber,- means for actuating the plunger according to the cycle of operationsof the engine, anjinjection valve arranged to seat' within the metering chamber to cut oil the communication and to be unseated by metering chamber iuid pressure acting against spring means arranged to maintain the injection valve seated until a predetermined metering chamber fluid pressure is attained, and fuel supply for the metering chamber and including a check valve arranged to prevent return flow from the chamber.

An object of my invention, therefore, is

broadly speaking, to provide a means for metering and injecting a charge with extreme rapidity. Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple and re-` liable mechanism for effecting the rapid injection. Further objects and advantages together with the exact nature of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying .drawing which is a v1'iew in elevation, partly in section, showing an embodiment of my metering injection valve means together with pertinent parts of the gear for actuating the same and of the engine of which it forms a part.

With.. reference now to the drawing, 1 is a portion of the engine cylinder structure which may be, as indicated, the cylinder head portion, having a water jacket space 2 and a face 3 which forms a part of the combustion chamber Wall.

The cylinder head is bored and counterbored as indicated to receive a sleeve 4 stepped correspondingl with the cylinder head bore whereby a gas et 5 may seat between adjacent shoulders of the cylinder head and sleeve.

Fitting Within the sleeve is a nozzle 6 having a flange 7 seating against a corresponding shoulder in the sleeve. The sleeve is threaded as indicated to receive the lower extremity of a valve housing 8 which extends upwardly as indicated beyond the cylinder head and is secured in the position shown by a clamp 13, stud bolt 14 and nut 15 in the usual manner.

Mounted for sliding movement in the housing is a plunger 9 terminating upwardly in a cage portion 10 and closed at its upper end by a plug 11 and cap 12. The plunger is step-bored to receive a rod 16 and a valve 17. The valve has a very closely fitted long bearing in the' plunger and extends downwardly into the nozzle 6.

The nozzle is step-bored as indicated, provided with a tapering seat portion 18 and leading therefrom into the combustion chamber with a small short bore 19 and a number of jet orifices 20. The valve 17 is stepped down within the nozzle and terminates with a conical portion 21v adapted to seat upon the nozzle. The rod 16 abuts the upper ex'- tremi of the valve and is provided with a hea 22 upon which a spring 23 seats, the spring being in compression between the plug 11 and the rod 16 and thus tending to maintain the valve 17 seated in the nozzle.

Clearances are provided as follows: 24 between the plunger cage and the valve housing, 25 between the rod 16 and the end of the bore within which it is positioned and 26 between the plunger end and the nozzle 7 A passage 27 is conveniently provided between the inside of the cage 10 andthe clearance 24, and connection with the clearance 24 is made as at 28 for drainage purposes;

, a longitudinal groove 52 in the rod 16 likewise serving the clearance 25.

In the housing is a passage 29 communieating by a short transverse passage 30 with the clearance 26. The upper extremity of the passage 29 is closed y a plug31, but has a transverse bore 32 opening thereinto closed at its end by a plug 33. The housing is also provided with a vertical opening communicating with the passage 32 and containing a seat 34 for a check valve 35 and receiving a connection 36 for piping 37 leadcombustion chamber of the engine being normally closed by the conical extremity of the valve 17 and the plunger by reciprocating movement being adapted to alter the volume of the metering chamber.

Suitably mounted on thehead as upon a shaft 38 carried by bearings thereon is a rocker 39 having an arm 40 carrying a member 41 adapted to hear against the end of the cap 12, and an arm 42 in an operative relation with a suitable push rod arranged for actuation by the 'usual cam all as will be understood by one familiar with the art, forming no part of this invention, and hence not shown.

The cap 12 has a flange 43 against which bear fingers 44 upon the forked end 45 of a lever 46 mounted upon a fixed shaft 47 the opposite end of which lever bears upon a governor controlled eccentric 48. The shafts carrying the lever 46 and the governor eccentric 48 may conveniently be mounted in an upstanding portion 49 of the clamp 13.

In operation the fuel is delivered through the piping 37 at a relatively low head, which need be just sufficient to raise the check valve 35 from its seat againstthe compression of the check valve spring 50, so that the passages 32, 29 and 30 are maintained filled at all times. Assume the governor seating such that the plunger is shown at the extremity of its outward stroke, and that the valve actuating gear including the rocker 39 is arranged to move the plunger inwardly until its inner extremity lies as indicated by the dot-dash lines 51, the spring 23 being understood as of strength sufficient to maintain the valve in its seat in the nozzle against all combustion chamber pressures. As the rocker 39 moves to allow the plunger 9 to move out- Wardl)1 under the action of the spring 23, the valve remains seated and through this stroke of the plunger fuel flows past the check valve 35 through the passages 32, 29 and 30 and into the annular clearance space 26 and, of course, the annular clearance between the valve and the nozzle opening in which the valve is positioned or in short, the metering chamber is maintained completely filled during its expansion period; none of the fuel entering the combustion chamber at this time the nozzle orifices 20 being so small that even the fuel in the bore 19 below the valve seat is not lost into the combustion chamber.

As the rocker 39 moves in the opposite direction the check valve 35 being seated and the fluid, of course, noncompressible, the downward movement of the plunger decreases the volume of the clearance 26-and hence of the metering chamber as a whole. At this time the differential in unbalanced injection valve sectional areas exposed to fluid pressures is such that the valve is unseated against the action ofthe spring 23 and the desired charge is rapidly and violently injected into the combustion chamber through the orifices 20. The volume of this charge is quite apparently the volume of that portion of the annular clearance 26 between the dot-dash line 51 and the adjacent extremity of the plunger in the position shown or, in other words, the difference in maximum and minimum metering chamber volumes. Immediately the plunger reaches the end of its inward stroke the injection valve is seated by the spring 23 and on the return or outward plunger stroke a new charge volume equal to the volume of the charge just injected, but subject t0 the governor setting always, is metered out from the supply into the metering chamber.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, fuel injection apparatus therefor, comprising, means forming a stationary metering chamber extending adjacent and having communication with said combustion chamber, plunger means arranged to vary the metering chamber volume, means associated with said plunger means for actuating the same according to the cycle of operations of said engine, an injection valve arranged to seat within said metering chamber to cut ofi' said communication and to be unseated inwardly of said chamber by iuid pressure therewithin and having a stem extending through said plunger, means associated with the stem to yieldably maintain the valve seated dependent upon a predetermined metering chamber fluid pressure, and fuel supply means for said metering chamber and including check valve means arranged to prevent return flow from said chamber.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, fuel injection apparatus therefor comprising means forming a stationary metering chamber extending adjacent and having communication with said combustion chamber, a plunger arranged to vary the metering chamber volume, an injection valve arranged in ali ed relation with said plunger to seat within said metering chamber to cut off said communication and to be unseated by metering chamber fluid pressure, spring means arranged to act both upon said plunger to urge the same outwardly of said chamber and upon said valve means to urge the same against its seat, fuel su ply means for said metering chamber an including a check valve arranged to prevent return flow from said chamber, and actuating gear for effecting inward plunger strokes accgrding to the cycle of operations of said en- 3. In an internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber, fuel injection apparatus therefor comprisin means formin a stationary metering cham r extendin aj acent and having communication wit combustion chamber, a plunger arranged to vary the metering chamber volume, an injection valve arranged in aligned relation with said plunger to seat withinsaid metering chamber tocut oil'I said communication and to be unseated by metering chamber fluid pressure, spring means arranged to act in said signature.

CARL D. SALISBURY. 

